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On Sunday night, Rahmath M, 42, a native of Mattannur in Kannur, was returning home from Kozhikode on a train along with two-year-old Zahra, the daughter of her sister Jaseela who is enrolled in a teachers’ training course. K P Noufiq, 39, also a native of Mattannur, was in Kozhikode to attend an Iftar party and was on his way back. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Rahmath, Zahra and Noufiq died after they jumped out of the train in panic, moments after an unidentified person set co-passengers on fire inside a coach, leaving eight others injured.
The Kannur-bound Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express chugged along from Korapuzha river, 18 km away from Kozhikode, almost an hour after the fire incident. But it was only early on Monday morning that an inspection by the police and railway officials along the track near Korapuzha bridge, between Kozhikode and Kannur, revealed three bodies, including that of the two-year-old girl.
Rahmath had left for Chaliyam near Kozhikode on Sunday morning to bring Zahra back as her mother had to attend a short-term programme. Their family friend Shafi said, “As Jaseela would be away from home for nearly three weeks, Rahmath was asked to take care of the baby. So, she left Mattannur on Sunday along with family friend Rasiq, who sustained minor burn injuries. After breaking their (Ramzan) fast at Chaliyam, they boarded the train to Kannur. Rasiq realised that Rahmath and Zahra were missing only after the train reached Koyilandy, the next stop after Kozhikode.”
Rahmath is survived by husband Sharafudheen and son Ramshad. Zahra’s father Hussain Saqafi is in Saudi Arabia.
The third victim Noufiq, a dry fish trader, had gone to attend an iftar event at Islamic Centre, Akode in Malappuram. His neighbour Abdu recalled, “He used to attend the iftar at the Islamic Centre every year as he had been close to that institute, an educational and cultural centre. After boarding the train from Kozhikode, he asked his brother-in-law to reach Kannur railway station by midnight. Late at night, we came to know that there was a fire in the Executive Express, but it was only early in the morning that we came to know of Noufiq’s death.”
Police sources said prima facie it is understood that the three may have jumped out of the train after seeing the fire in the compartment. Their bodies had fractures and nerve injuries normally associated with a fall from a moving train.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday termed the incident shocking and assured that a special investigation team will probe the matter.
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